Difference between revisions of "Wand of random effects"

From CrawlWiki
Jump to: navigation, search
m (→‎Tips & Tricks)
 
(upd 0.24, saw it in game, no changes)
(19 intermediate revisions by 10 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
−
{{version010}}
+
{{version024}}
 
{{item
 
{{item
 
  |itemtype = Wand
 
  |itemtype = Wand
 
  |name = Wand of random effects
 
  |name = Wand of random effects
 
  |cost = ?
 
  |cost = ?
−
|weight = 10.0
 
 
}}
 
}}
−
{{flavour|A magical device which can produce a variety of effects.}}
+
{{flavour|A magical device which can produce a variety of effects.
  
−
A '''wand of random effects''' creates an unpredictable effect when zapped, emulating any other wand except for the [[wand of disintegration]]. Although there are far more attack wands than support wands, its usefulness in combat is questionable.  You must decide if it's worth the risk [[haste|hasting]], [[heal]]ing, [[polymorph]]ing, or rendering a dangerous enemy [[invisibility|invisible]].
+
----
  
−
{|class="wikitable" style="border:none; margin:auto; padding:0;"
+
“[The principle of selection] is the magician’s wand, by means of which he may summon into life whatever form and mould he pleases.”
 +
 
 +
-William Youatt, _Sheep: their breeds, management, and diseases; to which is added the Mountain Shepherd's Manual_, ch. III. 1837.}}
 +
 
 +
{|class="wikitable" style="float:right; border:none; margin:5px;"
 
! '''Wand effect''' || '''Probability'''
 
! '''Wand effect''' || '''Probability'''
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[wand of flame]] || 5.6%
+
| [[wand of flame|throw flame]] ||  
−
|-
 
−
| [[wand of frost]] || 5.6%
 
−
|-
 
−
| [[wand of slowing]] || 5.6%
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[wand of magic darts]] || 5.6%
+
| [[fireball]] ||  
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[wand of paralysis]] || 5.6%
+
| [[Throw Frost|throw frost]] ||  
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[wand of fire]] || 5.6%
+
| [[wand of iceblast|iceblast]] ||
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[wand of cold]] || 5.6%
+
| [[bolt of draining]] ||  
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[wand of confusion]] || 5.6%
+
| [[Venom Bolt|venom bolt]] ||  
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[wand of fireball]] || 5.6%
+
| '''Total damaging effects''' || '''6/13'''
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[wand of lightning]] || 5.6%
+
| [[wand of paralysis|paralyze]] ||  
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[wand of teleportation]] || 5.6%
+
| [[confuse]] ||  
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[wand of draining]] || 4.7%
+
| [[slow]] ||  
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[wand of enslavement]] || 5.9%
+
| [[malmutate]] ||
 
|-
 
|-
−
| '''Total good wands''' || '''73.0%'''
+
| '''Total harmful effects''' || '''4/13'''
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[wand of hasting]] || 5.6%
+
| [[haste]] ||  
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[wand of heal wounds]] || 5.6%
+
| [[invisibility]] ||  
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[wand of invisibility]] || 5.6%
+
| '''Total buff effects''' || '''2/13'''
 
|-
 
|-
−
| '''Total bad wands''' || '''16.8%'''
+
| [[teleportation]] ||  
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[wand of digging]] || 5.6%
+
| '''Total neutral''' || '''1/13'''
−
|-
 
−
| [[wand of polymorph other]] || 5.6%
 
−
|-
 
−
| '''Total neutral wands''' || '''11.2%'''
 
 
|}
 
|}
−
<!-- From version 0.10.3 items.cc:3316
 
−
(Note that ZAP_LAST_RANDOM = WAND_POLYMORPH_OTHER)
 
  
−
    switch (static_cast<wand_type>(sub_type))
+
A '''wand of random effects''' creates an unpredictable effect when zapped. There is a high probability of yielding a damaging or at least harmful effect, but its use in combat is risky. Although you might wind up blasting an enemy for heavy damage, you must decide if it's worth the risk of rendering your opponent [[invisibility|invisible]] or [[haste]]d instead. Each of the effects has an equal chance of being selected.
−
    {
 
−
    case WAND_FLAME:          result = ZAP_FLAME;          break;
 
−
    case WAND_FROST:          result = ZAP_FROST;          break;
 
−
    case WAND_SLOWING:        result = ZAP_SLOWING;        break;
 
−
    case WAND_HASTING:        result = ZAP_HASTING;        break;
 
−
    case WAND_MAGIC_DARTS:    result = ZAP_MAGIC_DARTS;    break;
 
−
    case WAND_HEAL_WOUNDS:    result = ZAP_HEAL_WOUNDS;    break;
 
−
    case WAND_PARALYSIS:      result = ZAP_PARALYSIS;      break;
 
−
    case WAND_FIRE:            result = ZAP_FIRE;            break;
 
−
    case WAND_COLD:            result = ZAP_COLD;            break;
 
−
    case WAND_CONFUSION:      result = ZAP_CONFUSION;      break;
 
−
    case WAND_INVISIBILITY:    result = ZAP_INVISIBILITY;    break;
 
−
    case WAND_DIGGING:        result = ZAP_DIGGING;        break;
 
−
    case WAND_FIREBALL:        result = ZAP_FIREBALL;        break;
 
−
    case WAND_TELEPORTATION:  result = ZAP_TELEPORTATION;  break;
 
−
    case WAND_LIGHTNING:      result = ZAP_LIGHTNING;      break;
 
−
    case WAND_POLYMORPH_OTHER: result = ZAP_POLYMORPH_OTHER; break;
 
−
    case WAND_ENSLAVEMENT:    result = ZAP_ENSLAVEMENT;    break;
 
−
    case WAND_DRAINING:        result = ZAP_NEGATIVE_ENERGY; break;
 
−
    case WAND_DISINTEGRATION:  result = ZAP_DISINTEGRATION;  break;
 
−
    case WAND_RANDOM_EFFECTS:
 
−
        result = static_cast<zap_type>(random2(ZAP_LAST_RANDOM + 1));
 
−
        if (one_chance_in(20))
 
−
            result = ZAP_NEGATIVE_ENERGY;
 
−
        if (one_chance_in(17))
 
−
            result = ZAP_ENSLAVEMENT;
 
−
        break;
 
  
−
enslavement has 1/17 chance = 5.88%
+
Using a wand of random effects may risk [[penance]], depending on your [[god]]'s restrictions: all of the [[good god]]s punish [[draining]], [[Zin]] punishes [[malmutate|mutating]], [[Cheibriados]] punishes haste.
−
negative energy has 16/17 * 1/20 chance = 4.70%
 
−
the remaining 16 wands
 
−
    case WAND_FLAME:         
 
−
    case WAND_FROST:         
 
−
    case WAND_SLOWING:       
 
−
    case WAND_HASTING:       
 
−
    case WAND_MAGIC_DARTS:   
 
−
    case WAND_HEAL_WOUNDS:   
 
−
    case WAND_PARALYSIS:     
 
−
    case WAND_FIRE:         
 
−
    case WAND_COLD:         
 
−
    case WAND_CONFUSION:     
 
−
    case WAND_INVISIBILITY: 
 
−
    case WAND_DIGGING:     
 
−
    case WAND_FIREBALL:     
 
−
    case WAND_TELEPORTATION: 
 
−
    case WAND_LIGHTNING:     
 
−
    case WAND_POLYMORPH_OTHER:
 
−
each have 1/16 * 16*/17 * 19/20 chance = 5.59%
 
−
-->
 
  
 
==Tips & Tricks==
 
==Tips & Tricks==
−
*Followers of good [[god]]s risk [[penance]], since wands of [[wand of draining|draining]] or [[wand of polymorph other|polymorph]] are forbidden to them.
+
*Train [[Evocations]] to boost the power of your wand.
−
*Out of [[wands of digging]]? A wand of random effects might eventually create a digging effect, if you have enough charges.
+
*Be strategic when using the wand. Plan the encounter so that you can use the wand at the farthest possible distance, giving you multiple shots on target; even if one shot is beneficial to the target, the next 3 might be sufficient to finish it off.  If the monster is susceptible and you have a [[net]] or the ability  to [[paralyze]], [[petrify]], [[confusion|confuse]], or [[slow]], use that first to give you even more opportunities for a kill shot.
−
*Heavily [[rot]]ted characters, especially [[mummies]], may use them at full [[HP]] in the hopes of eventually getting some of their rot cured.
+
*Have an escape route planned in case the target does become invisible or hasted. Keep in mind that the invisibility/haste effect is temporary: retreating and returning after the buff wears off is always an option.
 +
*Using the wand against an adjacent monster is almost never a good idea, given that the fireball and iceblast effects will greatly harm you as well. For the same reason, always be aware of any potentially adjacent invisible creatures (eg, a newly invisible [[orc wizard]]).
 +
*If you are playing conservatively and have charges to burn, aim at an unoccupied square adjacent to the monster, and not the monster itself. You will have a 15% chance of (only) fireball or iceblast, and an 85% chance of no effect.
 +
 
 +
==History==
 +
*In [[0.21]], [[malmutate]] was added to the random effects to discourage using the wand as a source of [[haste]] and [[invisibility]] in the late game.
 +
*It was completely reworked in [[0.20]] to the present list of effects, minus malmutate.
 +
*Prior to [[0.19]], wands of random effects could produce digging and disintegration.
 +
*Some wands were removed in [[0.18]], though the wand of random effects kept a few of the removed ones. As a result the chance to deal direct damage with a wand of random effects dropped by about 11%.
 +
*Prior to [[0.14]], gods would forgive the player for disliked effects produced by evoking an already identified wand of random effects.
 +
 
 +
{{wands}}

Revision as of 14:27, 4 December 2019

Version 0.24: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.
Type Wand
Name Wand of random effects
Icon Wand of random effects.png
A magical device which can produce a variety of effects.

“[The principle of selection] is the magician’s wand, by means of which he may summon into life whatever form and mould he pleases.”

-William Youatt, _Sheep: their breeds, management, and diseases; to which is added the Mountain Shepherd's Manual_, ch. III. 1837.

Wand effect Probability
throw flame
fireball
throw frost
iceblast
bolt of draining
venom bolt
Total damaging effects 6/13
paralyze
confuse
slow
malmutate
Total harmful effects 4/13
haste
invisibility
Total buff effects 2/13
teleportation
Total neutral 1/13

A wand of random effects creates an unpredictable effect when zapped. There is a high probability of yielding a damaging or at least harmful effect, but its use in combat is risky. Although you might wind up blasting an enemy for heavy damage, you must decide if it's worth the risk of rendering your opponent invisible or hasted instead. Each of the effects has an equal chance of being selected.

Using a wand of random effects may risk penance, depending on your god's restrictions: all of the good gods punish draining, Zin punishes mutating, Cheibriados punishes haste.

Tips & Tricks

  • Train Evocations to boost the power of your wand.
  • Be strategic when using the wand. Plan the encounter so that you can use the wand at the farthest possible distance, giving you multiple shots on target; even if one shot is beneficial to the target, the next 3 might be sufficient to finish it off. If the monster is susceptible and you have a net or the ability to paralyze, petrify, confuse, or slow, use that first to give you even more opportunities for a kill shot.
  • Have an escape route planned in case the target does become invisible or hasted. Keep in mind that the invisibility/haste effect is temporary: retreating and returning after the buff wears off is always an option.
  • Using the wand against an adjacent monster is almost never a good idea, given that the fireball and iceblast effects will greatly harm you as well. For the same reason, always be aware of any potentially adjacent invisible creatures (eg, a newly invisible orc wizard).
  • If you are playing conservatively and have charges to burn, aim at an unoccupied square adjacent to the monster, and not the monster itself. You will have a 15% chance of (only) fireball or iceblast, and an 85% chance of no effect.

History

  • In 0.21, malmutate was added to the random effects to discourage using the wand as a source of haste and invisibility in the late game.
  • It was completely reworked in 0.20 to the present list of effects, minus malmutate.
  • Prior to 0.19, wands of random effects could produce digging and disintegration.
  • Some wands were removed in 0.18, though the wand of random effects kept a few of the removed ones. As a result the chance to deal direct damage with a wand of random effects dropped by about 11%.
  • Prior to 0.14, gods would forgive the player for disliked effects produced by evoking an already identified wand of random effects.
Wands
Acid / Light / Quicksilver • Iceblast / Roots • Charming / Paralysis
Digging • Flame • Mindburst • Polymorph
Retrieved from "http://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Wand_of_random_effects&oldid=51336"